Toyota. I own a Prius and can tell you it's been the most trouble free car I've ever owned. The downside is it's a hybrid and those batteries don't last forever. I had to replace the traction battery at 78K at a cost of $2300, one year out of warranty. Although Toyota did tossed in $750 and the dealer took $400 off the battery for me. Due to people owning hybrids longer than the manufacture expected Toyota has had to increase the warranty on the hybrid system to 10 years and I think it's either 120K or 150K miles.

When I replace my 2010 Prius my next Toyota will be a non hybrid Camry.

pretending you have hands the size of a 2 yr old.

the Japanese are no better with that--I always thought it was because they had smaller hands in general. I've had a Honda and Nissan: in both cases, for even minor little things, you can tell they still had an idea for repair where you could actually take stuff apart and actually put it back seemlessly as if nothing had happened--American stuff seems like it was put together as something disposable, never meant to come apart, let alone go back together.

I'm no expert, but I think you are on the right path for what you are looking for. On the other hand, I hear old S10's are a good model for self repair (and what I'm looking for). As far as new stuff, I really can't speak, but the whole industry seems to be going in a single direction like everything else.

It is crazy how everything seems to be going in the wrong direction--and it ain't gonna get better any time soon. Greed, jews, and shitskins are the end of all that is good.